Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips

November 9-11, 2019

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets, will play two games in Finland in 2020

PAGE 04 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 3, Coyotes 2 | 3-2-1 breakdown

PAGE 07 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets use highlight reel to find motivation

PAGE 09 The Athletic: Blue Jackets headed to Helsinki in 2020 for two games vs. Avalanche

PAGE 11 The Columbus Dispatch: Emil Bemstrom's first NHL fires up Blue Jackets PAGE 13 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets look for win to boost their confidence PAGE 15 The Columbus Dispatch: Avalanche 4, Blue Jackets 2 | Familiar start leads to familiar result, another loss PAGE 16 The Athletic: Guideposts: Taking stock of the Blue Jackets’ slim margin for error and their defensive optimism PAGE 19 The Athletic: Portzline: 10 observations from the Blue Jackets’ 4-2 loss to Colorado; Nick Foligno could face a suspension PAGE 23 The Columbus Dispatch: Avalanche 4, Blue Jackets 2 | 3-2-1 breakdown

PAGE 26 The Athletic: Blue Jackets headed to Helsinki in 2020 for two games vs. Avalanche

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 28 The Athletic: An early look at the top candidates for the 2019-20 Norris Trophy

1

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche will play two games in Finland in 2020

By Brian Hedger – November 8, 2019

PHOENIX — They have a Finnish general manager and two Finnish players, and there are nine countries represented in the Blue Jackets’ locker room.

In other words, they are a perfect fit to be showcased in Europe as part of the NHL’s annual Global Series — which will happen next season in Helsinki, Finland.

The NHL announced Friday that Columbus will play two games there next fall at Hartwall Arena, facing off against the Colorado Avalanche, the Jackets’ next opponent Saturday at Pepsi Center in Denver.

“We don’t look for a player based on his passport, but it just so happens to be the case,” Kekalainen said of his international roster. “I’ve talked to a couple of the guys who are from Europe and they’re all excited.”

Dates were not released, but the Blue Jackets and Avalanche will meet up in the fall, after the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators open the season with a game in Prague, .

“We have a lot of guys from Finland, a couple guys from Sweden, so it would be awesome to go over there and see where guys are from and play NHL games over there,” defenseman Zach Werenski said earlier this week, before he learned about the Jackets’ 2020 trip. “I’ve heard good things about the NHL Global Series, so that would be cool if our team got a chance to do that.”

It will be the Jackets’ second time playing regular-season games in Europe, after participating in the 2010 NHL Premiere games in Stockholm, Sweden. They split those two against the San Jose Sharks.

“It’ll be great to bring our team there, where people are passionate about hockey and the , but the main thing is still the four points that are available for those two games,” said Kekalainen, who is from Tampere, Finland, and cut his teeth as a GM in Helsinki with both HIFK and . “That’s the main focus, but it’ll be a good change and be a good team bonding trip.”

Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Markus Nutivaara are the Jackets’ current Finnish players. Nutivaara is from Oulu in northern Finland, while Korpisalo is from Pori in the southwest and came up through Jokerit’s junior levels.

The Blue Jackets also have forward Markus Hannikainen (Jokerit) playing for the . Their NHL roster has 10 European players, including three from Sweden plus rookie Alexandre Texier, who is from France but spent the past two years playing with KalPa in Finland’s top professional division.

“Some of the guys probably haven’t been there and some have, but maybe haven’t seen some of the things the country has to offer,” Kekalainen said. “So, I think we’ll get a good opportunity to show what Finland’s all about.”

2

It will not be Kekalainen’s first taste of the NHL’s international flavor. As Jokerit’s GM, he hosted games at Hartwall Arena from 2009 to 2011. The most memorable was an exhibition game between Jokerit and the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, when Teemu Selanne played against his former Finnish team.

“That was a special excitement there because he’s a Jokerit product,” Kekalainen said. “He played hockey through all the junior levels in Jokerit, so that was a great event. So (were) the other ones, and so, too, will this one be in a year.”

3

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 3, Coyotes 2 | 3-2-1 breakdown

By Brian Hedger – November 8, 2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. – It wasn’t their best performance, but it wasn’t the Blue Jackets’ worst either.

They had moments of brilliance, moments of head-shaking frustration and everything in between Thursday night at Gila River Arena. At the end of it, though, the most important thing the Blue Jackets had was a hard-fought 3-2 win against the to end a five-game winless streak.

They also had a little bit of their confidence back.

“We don’t get caught up in talking too much about a losing streak,” coach said. “We’re just trying to get better every day. Were we really good tonight? I wouldn’t say we were, but we found a way. We’ve got to get better in a lot of different areas. Individual players have to get better, but it’s good for them to get a result here. There’s been some games where we’ve lost this year (and) we didn’t get the result. We got the result tonight.”

Despite losing a 1-0 lead and being outplayed in the first period, the Jackets stayed close thanks to goalie Joonas Korpisalo’s 31 saves and eventually tied it 2-2 on Emil Bemstrom’s power-play goal at 17:36 of the second – scored off his own rebound. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the winner at 10:12 of the third, slamming the puck past Darcy Kuemper after it fluttered to him through a pair of Coyotes defenders off a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois.

It took a 3-for-3 performance killing penalties too, including a late one in the third that gave the Coyotes a 6-on-4 advantage for the final 1:48 after Kuemper left the ice for an extra skater.

“A win like this … it lifts up the mood and gives you confidence,” Korpisalo said. It’s big points here and we’ve got to feed off of it.”

Here is a 3-2-1 of the Jackets’ big win in the desert – three takeaways, two questions and one more thing to know:

Three takeaways

1) Korpisalo comes up big

The Blue Jackets’ new No. 1 goalie showed why he earned that role. Aside from a juicy rebound in the first that Korpisalo kicked out to Carl Soderberg for the Coyotes’ first goal, he was excellent.

Two of his best stops were against Michael Grabner, a speedy veteran forward who had a pair of shorthanded breakaways turned away. The first one, with 4:39 left in the second and the Coyotes trying to stretch their lead, was the most difficult.

After sprawling out, Korpisalo just got his left arm out in time to stop a backhand attempt.

“I just see him coming down, fast guy, and (he) kind of got me there,” Korpisalo said. “I tried to push, I lost my edge, so I can’t go all the way there. I got lucky it hit my arm. Just tried to get something in front.”

4

The save on Grabner’s breakaway in the third was less dramatic but more technically sound – a right pad save that stonewalled the shot cold. Korpisalo was named the game’s third star, but he was first rate.

2) Top line comes through

They were on the ice for the Coyotes’ goals, but the Blue Jackets’ new top line of Gustav Nyquist, Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand made up for it.

Nyquist had a goal and two assists, scoring 14 seconds into the game to make it 1-0, while Bjorkstrand finished with a goal, assist and two points. He also scored the winner at 10:12 of the third after a fortunate bounce off Dubois’ pass put the puck right into his wheelhouse for a close-range blast.

“Nice to help out a little bit,” said Bjorkstrand, who has two goals in the past four games. “Obviously, we’re out there for a few goals against, but it’s nice to contribute and get a few goals-for too. You want to see the puck go in the net.”

3) Bemstrom breaks the ice

It was going to happen eventually, but rookie Emil Bemstrom was beginning to wonder when his first NHL goal would arrive.

“I’m trying to get that out of my head, but of course, it’s still there because you want to score that first goal so much, so badly,” he said Wednesday. “I mean, when you haven’t scored in some games and then you score, you feel more comfortable. It’s going to release all this, I don’t know ... ghosts in your head.”

Well, consider the ghosts exorcised.

After getting a free lane on a late power play, Bemstrom entered the right-wing circle and took a look at the net. He fired a hard wrister that forced Kuemper to make a difficult save, sending the puck over the net and off the end boards. Bemstrom stayed after it, flipped a quick second shot at Kuemper from a bad angle and the puck deflected into the net off the goalie's body.

“I’ve been waiting for this for 15 games, so it’s been frustrating," Bemstrom said. "But I did it, so I’m happy with that.”

Two questions

1) What happened in that first period?

It was a good start, all things considered, but the Blue Jackets couldn’t maintain it after Nyquist's quick goal to start the game.

Scott Harrington’s tripping minor at 8:42 opened the door a crack and the Coyotes busted it down the rest of the period. Arizona outshot Columbus 16-9 in the period, after initially being credited with a 20-9 edge, and the Blue Jackets chased the puck most of the period. They were fortunate Korpisalo was up to the task.

“The first five or six minutes were good, the rest of the first period, I don’t know what was going on,” Tortorella said. “But we wound up playing a better second period and found a way to win.”

2) Did the power of positivity help?

5

Rather than running through their usual gameday meeting at the morning skate, the Blue Jackets’ coaching staff changed it up. Knowing they had a roster full of guys fighting a confidence issue in the offensive zone, Tortorella turned the video session into a highlight reel of goals the Jackets have scored the past couple years.

There were no critiques, no comments, nothing. It was just Blue Jacket goal after Blue Jacket goal, which they appreciated seeing. The idea was to boost the Jackets’ sinking confidence and it appeared to work when Nyquist scored on the game's first shift.

That didn't lead to a big outburst of goals, but patience and positivity helped the Jackets eventually grind out a victory that returned some of their swagger.

“Confidence is a big thing,” Tortorella said. “It’s an overused word. I think you can use that word with a lot of different words, but it’s here. It’s mental. And that’s what we’re trying to clear up. You hope some good things happen. You hope that helps, but as a coach, we’re just trying to find other ways to get to that avenue.”

One more thing to know

Bemstrom said the puck from his first NHL goal will go to his younger brother, Linus, who follows his career closely back in Sweden.

“He’s following me every game and supporting me every game,” Bemstrom said.

6

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets use highlight reel to find motivation

By Brian Hedger – November 8, 2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The morning meeting in the visitor’s locker room Thursday at Gila River Arena could have resembled the usual ones the Blue Jackets hold on game days.

Instead, a video montage of goals — actual Blue Jackets goals — played on a loop at the front of the room. There were pretty goals, gritty goals, lucky goals, important goals — just goals, in all sizes and shapes.

Most important, they were all scored by the Blue Jackets, who went into a game Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes saddled with a five-game winless skid (0-4-1) and five goals in the previous four games.

“As I’ve always said, you can’t peel the scalp up, turn it, push a button in the brain and say, ‘You’ve got confidence,’” coach John Tortorella said. “We’ve just got to try to help them. … We’re trying to help them feel good about themselves, not overanalyze. Try to give them an avenue to feel good about themselves.”

Hence the video, which was still playing goal after goal following the on-ice portion of the morning skate.

“It’s just a great tactic,” said captain Nick Foligno, who said he and others are guilty of pressing too hard to score. “It’s not like a big panic in here, like we’re never going to score again, it’s just nice to see some things that you were doing that breed success and breed goals in this league.

"When you’re fighting it a little bit, it’s easy to forget and hard to remember.”

Using Cleveland

A couple of years ago, the Blue Jackets took advantage of the proximity of the Cleveland Monsters, their affiliate.

Located a few hours up I-71 from Columbus, the Monsters can help NHL backup goalies stay sharp — starting with Joonas Korpisalo, who made the trip multiple times during the 2017-18 season as ’s understudy. Two years later, Korpisalo is the top goalie and rookie Elvis Merzlikins, who doesn’t need to clear waivers, was assigned to the Monsters on Wednesday to keep adjusting to smaller North American rinks.

Merzlikins will draw his NHL paycheck with a one-way contract, but that’s a small concession for getting him more experience. Matiss Kivlenieks was recalled from Cleveland to back up Korpisalo to start the trip, and goaltending coach Manny Legace headed to Cleveland to work with Merzlikins and fellow rookie Veini Vehvilainen.

“Korpi has earned the No. 1 goalie (role), and you have to try and get that No. 1 goalie into a flow as you play in these games here,” Tortorella said. “Perfect opportunity for us to let him run with it here a little

7

bit, and the way the games stacked up in Cleveland, with Manny being there too, it worked out perfect to help (Merzlikins) in a process of trying to learn the North American game. So, it’s a really good thing.”

Pushing for more

Scott Harrington and Dean Kukan have caught Tortorella’s attention in a good way.

Harrington returned to the active lineup as Kukan’s partner on the third defense pairing against Arizona, as the Jackets’ usual seventh and eighth defensemen are needed with the usual second pairing of Ryan Murray (hand) and Markus Nutivaara (upper body) out.

“These are tough decisions now with those guys, and it’s just not always those two guys that are in the equation of who’s out and who’s in,” Tortorella said. “There’s a number of guys involved in our (defense) that we have to talk about when we’re deciding to put our six out.”

Kukan, in particular, stood out in a 2-1 loss Tuesday to the Vegas Golden Knights. He was aggressive in the offensive zone and found Boone Jenner with a pass to set up the Blue Jackets’ goal.

“He’s made some really nice plays, some plays that surprise you, as far as how he sees the ice,” Tortorella said. “He’s progressed. He keeps progressing. Another guy that wants to play. Harry, the guy coming in, wants to play (too).”

Injury updates

After being reinstated from injured reserve Wednesday, rookie forward Alexandre Texier returned to action against the Coyotes. He played left wing on the fourth line, skating with center Riley Nash and rookie Emil Bemstrom. Texier missed four games. … Murray remains on injured reserve because of a broken hand but is on the trip. He missed his fifth game since injuring the hand in a 7-4 loss Oct. 26 at Philadelphia and is 12 days into a recovery process estimated to require three to four weeks.

8

The Athletic: Blue Jackets headed to Helsinki in 2020 for two games vs. Avalanche

By Aaron Portzline – November 8, 2019

DENVER — Jarmo Kekalainen’s father made his only trip to Columbus at the start of the 2015-16 season, hoping to watch the Blue Jackets win a few games with his son, the club’s general manager.

But Kari Kekalainen had to cut his trip short. The Blue Jackets started with a horrendous losing streak, Jarmo Kekalainen had to fire a coach (Todd Richards) and hire another (John Tortorella), and the mood in central Ohio turned dark quickly.

“That’s the year we started 0-8,” Jarmo Kekalainen said. “My dad left after five games and said he was never going to come back. And he hasn’t.”

But the Kekalainens will get a second chance to see the Blue Jackets win, and this time in their homeland.

The NHL announced Friday that the Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche would take part in the league’s 2020 Global Series, playing two regular-season games in Helsinki’s Hartwell Arena.

The dates aren’t known yet, but the games are expected to be played in early November. They will not be season-opening games, as when the Blue Jackets played against San Jose in Stockholm in 2010.

“I’m excited for the organization and the team and the players who have never been there,” Kekalainen said. “I talked to (forward) Gustav Nyquist (of Sweden) today, and he’s never been to Finland, which is kind of … it’s crazy.

“I talked to (defenseman) Vladislav Gavrikov and he’s excited because his family is now closer by. It’s way easier for them to come to the game in Finland than it is to travel all the way to America.”

Kekalainen was born in Tampere and raised in Kuopio, but he was GM of both Helsinki-based clubs in Finland’s top league, IFK Helsinki and Jokerit. He’s a revered figure in Finland.

“Everybody follows the NHL there,” Kekalainen said. “The whole country is crazy about hockey, and the NHL is the best hockey in the world. I’m assuming tickets will be a hot commodity. It will be sold out in a very short period of time.”

The Blue Jackets currently have two Finnish players on the roster: Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Markus Nutivaara, while frequent call-up Markus Hannikainen has bounced between AHL Cleveland and Columbus. The organization’s fourth goaltender on the depth chart is also a Finn, Veini Vehvilainen.

“When you’re from Europe playing in the NHL, you don’t see your family and friends too often,” Korpisalo said. “Having a chance to play in front of them in an NHL game, it’s pretty awesome.

“My grandparents … they’ve never seen me play live in the NHL. I’m really hoping I play in one of those games.”

9

The Blue Jackets made a quid pro quo with the NHL more than a year ago, Kekalainen said. If they agreed to go to China to play two preseason games, the league would give them a game in Finland.

The preseason games in China would have taken place two months ago, but they were canceled by the league over the late summer. The league kept its promise, however, by sending the Blue Jackets to Finland.

Buffalo and Tampa Bay are playing in Stockholm today and Saturday, so their itinerary is pretty close to what the Blue Jackets can expect, Kekalainen said.

They have a minimum of five days off before the first game, giving them time to acclimate to the time change, do some sightseeing, and get used to practicing in Hartwell Arena. The games will be played on successive days — a back-to-back — and then teams will return home with five days to get readjusted.

Each team can bring 23 players (same as a regular NHL game), but they are allowed a third goaltender in case of injury.

“It will be just like a regular road trip, just a longer flight,” Kekalainen said, already getting into tour guide mode.

“I can introduce the guys to a real sauna, which is not something you get too often in North America. We’ll have some time to do things as a team, have some fun and see the country. But we are going there to compete, first and foremost.”

Jarmo said his father wakes up in the middle of the night in Finland — currently seven hours ahead of Columbus’ eastern time — to check the NHL scores.

“I got a text from him last night (after the win in Arizona),” Kekalainen said. “He and my mom (Elina) both follow it. My father-in-law was never a hockey fan, but now he follows the NHL all the time.”

Now he needs to see a win in person.

10

The Columbus Dispatch: Emil Bemstrom's first NHL goal fires up Blue Jackets By Brian Hedger – November 9, 2019

PHOENIX — If you want to learn about a pitcher, ask his catcher. Likewise, if you want to learn about a hockey player’s shot, ask one of his goalies. They inherently know the difference between good, great, mediocre and bad — because they see all variants on a daily basis — and their facial expressions reveal the truest tale. That’s why Joonas Korpisalo’s raised eyebrows meant something Thursday night at Gila River Arena, when the Blue Jackets goalie was asked about rookie forward Emil Bemstrom’s first NHL goal in a 3-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes. “He’s a goal-scorer,” Korpisalo said. “I think it’s going to be really good for him to get going. He’s a great player — really good shot and he knows how to put the puck in the net.” After spending the past four seasons as Sergei Bobrovsky’s understudy and then winning the role of Bobrovsky’s replacement this season, Korpisalo knows a thing or two about goal-scorers. He has faced plenty of them, been beaten by them and, by now, knows one when he sees one. He sees one in Bemstrom, and so do the rest of the Blue Jackets (6-7-3), who got a lift from his goal, which tied the score at 2-2 on a power play late in the second period. “Huge,” said Korpisalo, who was almost single-handedly keeping the Blue Jackets in the game at that point. “And you see the bench … like, I heard (them) from the other end, too, ‘Now we get going!’ you know? Bemstrom’s first goal. I’m really happy for him.” He isn’t alone. If you felt the ground move a little after Bemstrom followed up his own shot with a backhand flip that deflected into the net, it might have been caused by Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen — who has a lot invested in rookies this season, including Bemstrom and forward Alexandre Texier. The latter swept into North America last season and dazzled, while the former helped his Swedish team, Djurgardens, advance to the ’s final series. Bemstrom led the SHL with 23 goals at age 19, the youngest to accomplish that feat, and there was a lot of hope coming into this season that it would translate into immediate NHL success. Instead, Bemstrom was overwhelmed starting out. He looked flummoxed by the league's skill level, smaller rinks and blinding pace of play, which prevented him from getting more than fourth-line minutes. He has also shuffled on and off the power play, his specialty in Sweden, but is back on it and starting to blossom. “I felt like I wanted to (make) some more plays (in the third period),” he said Thursday night, speaking through a smile only a hockey player could appreciate. “I’ve been waiting for this for 15 games (this season), so it’s been frustrating. But I did it, so I’m happy with that.” He’s not the only one.

11

12

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets look for win to boost their confidence

By Brian Hedger – November 9, 2019

DENVER — The search continued Saturday in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains. After ending a five-game skid Thursday with a 3-2 victory at the Arizona Coyotes, the Blue Jackets brought an ongoing search for confidence north to face the Colorado Avalanche. Winning in the desert lifted their spirits, but that game could have gone either way. The Jackets didn’t dominate, weren’t crisp and showed a general sense of unease again, something that has afflicted every part of their game. “It’s one of the most amazing things in our league,” coach John Tortorella said. “You have these studs of players, great people, just everything’s going well for them, but they end up losing their confidence one way or another sometimes. It’s the most amazing thing in our game is the mental state of these good- looking, stud guys, that are on top of their game — and they’re afraid to make a play right now. It happens. So, we’ve just got to try to work it out.” He would prefer that those studs figure it out first, leading the Jackets out of the darkness. Going into the game against Colorado, only top center Pierre-Luc Dubois (six goals, five assists) and top- six winger Gustav Nyquist (three goals, seven assists) had reached double-digit points. Cam Atkinson was the next closest at eight points (three goals, five assists), but hadn’t scored a goal since Oct. 24 against the Carolina Hurricanes (six games). Coming off a career-high 41 goals last season, Atkinson is scuffling now — including a point-blank shot Thursday in Arizona that was denied by goalie Darcy Kuemper. It’s not just him, though. Zach Werenski (three goals, three assists) had a minus-8 rating before facing the Avalanche. Boone Jenner had four goals, but only one assist and a minus-9 rating. Josh Anderson had just one goal, one assist and a minus-6 rating in 10 games. Captain Nick Foligno had six points, but only one goal. Even Seth Jones is off to a slow start by his standards, with eight points (one goal, seven assists) and a minus-4 rating. He hasn’t moved the puck as confidently, either. “Jonesy is lacking confidence right now,” Tortorella said at the morning skate Saturday. “It’s evident. He’s going to work himself out of it … and it’s going to come back. We’ve just got to get them feeling good about themselves.” The Avalanche isn’t shy about reminding visitors where they are standing. A “welcome” sign above a doorway at Pepsi Center is a reminder that games there are contested a mile above sea level, where there is less oxygen. Tortorella said one of the biggest keys to getting through it is taking shorter shifts. “We certainly have to respect the altitude,” he said. “Working out today, I felt it. They understand it. They’ve been here enough. It’s the young kids we have to be concerned about and explain that to them, but forget about the altitude. I’ll tell you right now, I think we’re taking (too many) long shifts, period. It has to change and that’s going to change.”

13

News and notes Rookie forward Kole Sherwood returned to the lineup and center Riley Nash was a healthy scratch, missing his first game of the season. … It wasn’t clear after the morning skate, but either Foligno or rookie Alexandre Texier was expected to join the center rotation with Nash scratched. … Texier has a swollen lip, but didn’t lose any teeth after being struck in the mouth by the puck in Arizona. “It can (always) be worse,” he said. “But I feel good.”

14

The Columbus Dispatch: Avalanche 4, Blue Jackets 2 | Familiar start leads to familiar result, another loss By Brian Hedger – November 9, 2019

DENVER — The scenery keeps changing, but the games remain largely the same. Once again, the Blue Jackets started off with a lead. Once again, though, they forced goalie Joonas Korpisalo to make a number of difficult saves to keep a dam from breaking. Once again, it finally broke in the second and third periods Saturday night, when the Colorado Avalanche scored three goals to overcome a one-goal deficit for a 4-2 victory. Cale Makar scored two goals to lead the Avalanche, and Samuel Girard and Nazem Kadri added one each. Pavel Francouz made 39 saves, becoming the latest opposing goalie to frustrate the Blue Jackets. Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski each scored goals, and Korpisalo made 32 saves. Just as they did Thursday in a 3-2 victory at the Arizona Coyotes, the Jackets struck first. Bemstrom’s second goal in as many games — both on power plays — gave them a 1-0 lead 4:55 into the game. It wasn’t as quick as Nyquist’s goal 14 seconds into the game against the Coyotes, but the Jackets did give Korpisalo another early lead to protect, which he did until Colorado’s Samuel Girard tied it at 1 at 15:06 on a power play. Four minutes later, Zach Werenski put the Jackets back in front — a record-setting goal that moved him past Rostislav Klesla for the most by a Blue Jackets defenseman with 42 — but the boost it provided wasn’t enough. The Avalanche responded in the second by taking the lead 3-2 on Makar’s two goals. They also seized control of the action and put the Blue Jackets on their heels. Makar’s first goal, set up with a nice pass by his defense partner, Ryan Graves, tied it at 2 with 9:08 left. His shot sailed over Korpisalo’s glove on the short side, prompting the Jackets goalie to angrily swat the puck into the neutral zone out of frustration. Makar struck again 5:19 later, making it 3-2 at 16:11 off a 2-on-1 rush. After getting a cross-ice pass from Tyson Jost, he beat Korpisalo low to the glove side. Things continued to spiral for the Blue Jackets 1:04 later, when captain Nick Foligno attempted a big open-ice hit on Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Foligno lunged at Bellemare, made high contact with his shoulder and sent the Avalanche center flying backward. Bellemare, whose head hit the ice, immediately left the game to get checked out. Foligno was given a five-minute major for charging plus a game misconduct, which could draw the attention of the NHL’s department of player safety. The Avalanche could have broken the game open afterward, getting a five-minute power play that spanned the second and third periods, but the Jackets killed it off to stay within a goal. The Jackets also drew penalties for two power plays in the third, but Francouz and the Avalanche didn’t allow the tying goal.

15

The Athletic: Guideposts: Taking stock of the Blue Jackets’ slim margin for error and their defensive optimism By Alison Lukan – November 9, 2019

Every year, NHL teams pursue success by playing within a system that matches their roster and outlines how to maximize team talent. So when John Tortorella laid out his road map for how the Blue Jackets needed to play this season, we identified some key measures that could help us understand how the team was performing in terms of what was expected of it. And just like last season, we’re going to check in on as many of them as we can every month. Let’s dig in. Offensive play It’s no secret that the Blue Jackets have found it a challenge to score goals. Is there a why that we can identify? The easiest answer is puck luck. Going into Thursday’s game, Columbus had the fourth-lowest shooting percentage in the league in five-on-five play (6.55 percent) and the second-lowest in all situations (7.21 percent). That’s just unbelievably low. Another part of this equation is shot quality, which we can measure in expected goals (xG). The Blue Jackets rank 23rd (2.2) in this measure, and when you add in the fact the team is 19th in shot volume (53.84 shot attempts per 60), you’re asking a team to make more out of fewer chances that have lower quality. So Columbus should expect more shots to fall its way, but the team still needs to shoot more with the purpose of creating more opportunities and pushing for better quality in the chances it gets. Let’s look at the other end of the ice. Defensive play Tortorella wanted his team to play sound defense to limit chances against and to allow two evolving more time and space to develop. This is an area in which the Blue Jackets have been strong overall. In five-on-five play, Columbus has the seventh-best performance in terms of limiting shot quality against (2.15 expected goals against / 60). What’s really interesting, however, is that the team doesn’t rank as highly in terms of preventing shot events against (shots on target, misses), so the Blue Jackets are letting opponents shoot, but they just aren’t letting them do it from the most dangerous areas. This season, the Jackets defense is reducing opponents’ offensive threat by 17 percent, which is a noticeable difference compared with -3 last season and places them among teams such as the Islanders and Arizona Coyotes, who had two of the lowest totals in terms of goals against. So, the defense is strong. Are the goaltenders doing their part? Goaltending

16

Among the league’s starting goaltenders, Joonas Korpisalo is in the top 10 in terms of facing the least dangerous shot quality against (2.46 xGA / 60). At an individual level, his overall save percentage is 1.79 percent below where it should be compared with a league-average goaltender and that translates to 5.35 goals saved below average (GSAA). Elvis Merzlikins is close to his fellow netminder in terms of overall performance. His save percentage is 2 percent below league average based on the shots he has faced, but that translates to 2.18 goals saved below average given that he has faced one of the most dangerous workloads in terms of shots against thus far in this early season (2.84 xGA / 60). That’s the 18th-most challenging level of shot quality against among all goaltenders who have played four games or more. So why the disconnect between a solid defensive performance and a lesser offensive one? Transition play A team can keep an opponent from creating and/or scoring, but it has to move the puck to the opposite end of the rink to turn prevention of goals against into creation of goals for. Corey Sznajder has tracked six of the Blue Jackets’ games this season in terms of exiting the defensive zone and entering the offensive zone (a sample-size warning is important here). Using that data, the table below shows the difference in each Blue Jackets player’s performance this season compared with last season in terms of how many exits he executes per 60 minutes of play. Specifically, we’re looking at how many exits are controlled and how many exit attempts fail. For each measure, blue indicates improvement over last season and red indicates a decrease in overall exits of each type. Some of the team’s most effective puck movers have struggled early on in terms of getting the puck out of the zone, particularly with control. It’s worth mentioning that the overall percentage breakdowns of how many exits are controlled for each player is relatively consistent compared with last season, it’s just not happening as much as it has, and for some, there are more failed attempts. Putting the puzzle together All of this combined outlines the importance of the team staying on its game. The Blue Jackets are playing on a thin margin for error, and the loss of any advantage can have big impacts. The chart below shows the percentage of expected goals Columbus has gotten game over game this season. The horizontal line represents an even split between the two teams in terms of shot quality. Above the line means the Blue Jackets have an advantage, below indicates where opponents built an edge. The farther above the line the better, the lower below the line — the more cause for concern. This shows just how close to break-even the Jackets are playing. If they can build up an advantage either by increasing offense or improving defense, any advantage helps. As The Athletic’s Sean Tierney noted: Of all teams getting above-average goaltending performance at five-on-five (as measured by save percentage), only three teams have a negative goal share: Chicago, Winnipeg and Columbus. Of course, there is one other part of the game that can — and should — provide a spark. Special teams Power play

17

Last season, two of the key issues for the Blue Jackets were not creating enough shots and being slow to score. Unfortunately, those issues persist. Going into Thursday’s game, Columbus sat 27th in the league in terms of shot attempts per 60 on the power play (84.69) and 26th in goals per 60 (4.26). Perhaps one ray of hope lies in the shot quality the team is getting — 6.42 expected goals per 60, which ranks 17th in the league. So, much like at even strength, if the power play can get some puck luck and shot volume, the Jackets should see some more pucks in the net even if they don’t up their shot rates. kill The penalty kill was a source of pride last season for the Blue Jackets, who sat as one of the top two in the league in terms of success rate. For a team that is playing on a thinner margin this season, shutting down opponents’ offensive opportunities becomes even more important. Thus far this season, Columbus sits 12th in terms of preventing quality shots against when playing a man down (6.5 xGA / 60), compared with coming in third as the Jackets did last season (5.69 xGA / 60). In terms of creating chances of their own, while the Blue Jackets were second overall last season in short-handed shots for (16.36 / 60), in this young campaign, they currently sit at 17th with 11.11 shots for / 60. There is reason for optimism here, however. There’s been very little personnel change on the penalty kill, and the units have been able to shut out their opponents across the past three games (and eight total this season). What does it all mean? There is reason for concern and there is reason for optimism if this team wants to be in the playoff hunt down the stretch. Of course, both parts of special teams can improve. There is an onus on this team to find ways to create more chances of higher quality to increase the likelihood of getting a goal, but the Jackets are also likely to get at least some boost from shooting percentages returning to normal. There was no better example of puck luck (finally) turning the Blue Jackets’ way than Thursday’s game in Arizona. Similarly, the defense is playing well. The Jackets need to focus on allowing less offensive volume against by executing breakouts more frequently and at a higher success rate. “It’s getting (the puck) in deep,” Nick Foligno said. “Allowing your team to forecheck, allowing your team to tilt the ice and play a three-quarters game as we call it. When you do that, it’s amazing how the other team just gets on their heels, they don’t get to get their game going. “This is the team we’re going have to be. This is who we are, and we can’t stray from it, because as soon as we do that’s when teams can bounce. … The style of play that we have to play has to be that because it allows us to have (some) imperfections throughout the game. And then our team can continue to move forward.”

18

The Athletic: Portzline: 10 observations from the Blue Jackets’ 4-2 loss to Colorado; Nick Foligno could face a suspension By Aaron Portzline – November 10, 2019

DENVER — Ten observations following the Blue Jackets’ 4-2 loss to Colorado on Saturday in Pepsi Center: 1. Nick Foligno could face a suspension As if a 4-2 loss wasn’t dispiriting enough, the Blue Jackets could be without captain Nick Foligno for the short term after an open-ice hit gone awry late in the third period. Foligno stepped up to hit Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare at 17:15 of the second period, his elbow or left arm appearing to clip Bellemare’s head as they passed near the blue line. Bellemare hit the ice and appeared dazed. After less than a minute on the ice, he gathered himself and skated off to the dressing room under his own power. He did not return to the game. Foligno was done for the night, too. He was initially given a five-minute major for charging, but after reviewing the play, officials gave him a game misconduct, too. The question now is whether he’ll face supplemental discipline from the NHL. As of 12:30 a.m. Sunday, nothing had been determined by the league’s player safety department. Foligno has never been fined or suspended. This was only the third game misconduct of his 858-game career and his first since joining the Blue Jackets in 2012-13. 2. Foligno apologizes, says he’s ‘sick to his stomach’ Foligno was sitting in his locker stall in the Pepsi Center visitors dressing room when the postgame room was open to the media. “I actually didn’t know I hit him in the head at all, that’s why I was kind of reacting the way I did, and then I saw the replay,” Foligno said. “There was no intent to hit him like that at all. I’m trying to line him up at the time, and he kind of turns back and makes that play, and it just happens so fast. “I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that I hit him in the head. It’s an unfortunate collision. My main concern is that he’s all right, and I got word from their locker room that he was feeling all right.” Asked if he expected to hear from the NHL, Foligno said that was not his primary concern. “I don’t know; I’m not going to go there,” he said. “I’m … my main concern is that he’s all right, and it sounds like he’s feeling all right, not too bad. “I’ve never been in this situation before in the 13 years I’ve played. It’s a hard one for me. You never want to hurt anyone. I don’t have to tell you guys; I think my track record speaks for itself. “I would never maliciously try to hurt somebody. It made me sick. I’m still sick to my stomach the way it kind of went down. But that’s the way this game goes. It happens so fast. My main concern is that he’s OK.”

19

Avs coach Jared Bednar did not provide an update after the game, saying he expected to know more Sunday. 3. Korpisalo’s temper flares again When Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo lost his mind in a stick-versus-goalpost rage against Philadelphia on Oct. 26, he apologized to his teammates on the flight home and was warned by coach John Tortorella to get his temper under control. “It won’t happen again,” Tortorella said. Well, it happened again. With 2:06 remaining, the Avs took a 4-2 lead on Nazem Kadri’s deflected knuckle-puck that sailed over Korpisalo’s glove. It was a bad-bounce goal but one that ended all reasonable hope of a Blue Jackets comeback. Korpisalo immediately gave his stick a robust whack on the crossbar, then dug the puck out of his net and sent it whizzing down the ice. As a linesman was stopping the puck with his skate in the neutral zone, Korpisalo gave his stick another, more moderate whack before getting it together. Only the first part of Korpisalo’s outburst was caught by television cameras: On one hand, Korpisalo’s frustration is warranted and understandable. The Blue Jackets have six wins in 17 games so far this season, and they’re quickly falling out of the running in the Metro Division. But when a goaltender loses his mind like that, it makes those watching at home wonder where his anger lies. With Seth Jones for deflecting Kadri’s shot? For the bad-bounce goal he just allowed? For another loss? And as his teammates articulated last time, throwing temper tantrums sends a signal to the rest of the NHL that you’re never far from coming unglued. Reputations form quickly and are hard to change. 4. Big kill, but can’t ride the momentum The Blue Jackets killed Foligno’s five-minute major penalty, surviving short-handed for the final 2:45 of the second period and the first 2:15 of the third. The Avs generated four shots on goal during that span, from an average of 41.5 feet away from the net. “I told the boys, the coaches, in between periods, ‘If we kill this off, I think we’re going to win the game,'” Tortorella said. “(Alexandre) Texier had a good look. We had a couple of other chances to tie that game, just didn’t get it done.” After putting up 34 shots on goal through two periods, the Blue Jackets managed only seven shots on goal in the third. Still, they finished with 41 shots on goal, their third-highest total of the season. “The puck’s gotta start dropping for us here,” said Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who scored his fourth of the season late in the second period. “We have a lot of chances, a lot of shots. We have to find a way to get some dirty goals around the net. Some rebounds, some screens, some tips … we’re getting the shots but not the goals.” 5. Move aside, Rusty

20

Werenski’s goal with 54 seconds left in the second period gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead. It also was the 42nd goal of Werenski’s career, a new franchise record for defensemen. Rostislav Klesla, the first draft pick in franchise history, had been the record-holder with 41 games. Werenski did it in less than half as many games (254) as Klesla (515), which is not to disparage Klesla, only to illuminate what Werenski has accomplished offensively so early in his career. This will be a stat that is followed all season. Seth Jones and David Savard have each scored 40 goals for the Blue Jackets, so they’re right behind Werenski. 6. Bemstrom … again! Emil Bemstrom couldn’t buy a goal for the first 15 games of the season. Now he has power-play goals in back-to-back games, and both of them have been nifty plays off rebounds. On Saturday, Bemstrom was low in the left circle when he swatted a puck out of the air after it deflected to him off a Jones shot. It gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 4:55 of the first. In Thursday’s win in Phoenix, Bemstrom followed his own shot toward the net and ended up scoring from below the goal line after the puck bounced off the end board. Bemstrom is now — gulp — tied for the club lead in power-play goals. With two. 7. Shootin’ blanks Through Saturday’s games, the Blue Jackets rank seventh in the NHL in shots on goal, putting up an average of 33.6 per game. That’s the good news. The bad news is the Blue Jackets are dead last with a 7.0 shooting percentage, trailing Detroit (7.1) and Los Angeles (7.1). That can be a hard number to quantify, but consider the following: The league average is 9.6 percent, which would produce roughly 15 more goals at the Blue Jackets’ shot- on-goal pace. The Blue Jackets were 10th in the league, at 9.9, last season. No team has finished a season at 7.0 percent or lower since the 2014-15 Arizona Coyotes (6.9), which finished 24-50-8. “Just keep on working,” Tortorella said. “We generated 20 scoring chances tonight. You just have to keep on working at it, and hopefully … I thought Cam (Atkinson) played better tonight. You just hope they find a way to score a goal and we find a way to get some flow to our game.” 8. Nash scratched, Wennberg demoted Tortorella made an inordinate amount of line changes given the Blue Jackets beat the Coyotes on Thursday, snapping a five-game losing streak in the process. Riley Nash was made a healthy scratch for the first time since joining the Blue Jackets as a free agent before the 2018-19 season. In 94 career games with Columbus, Nash is 4-13-17. Alexander Wennberg has cooled after a promising start. He was benched for a couple of shifts on Thursday and was dropped to the fourth line with Bemstrom and Kole Sherwood on Saturday.

21

With Nash out of the lineup, the Blue Jackets needed a center, so Foligno moved to the middle, as he’s done so many times previously. Foligno skated between Texier and Atkinson. 9. The Avs have been hit hard by injuries Yes, the Avalanche are considered Stanley Cup contenders, so there’s no shame in losing to them. But the Avs, who routed Nashville 9-4 on Thursday, are playing without top forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Colin Wilson, as well as No. 1 goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Backup goaltender Pavel Francouz made the start Saturday and turned away 39 of 41 shots. 10. Pearls and nuggets Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson doesn’t seem himself these days, as if he might be playing through an injury. He was the only forward without a shot on goal and played just 13:57. … With his first-period assist, Gustav Nyquist now has an eight-game road point streak, the fifth-longest in franchise history. He has recorded a point (3-7-10) in all eight road games this season. … D David Savard led the Blue Jackets with six shots on goal. … The Blue Jackets power play is 4-for-21 (19 percent) over the last six games. Hey, baby steps. … Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stopped 28 of 30 shots on Friday versus Laval in his AHL debut for Cleveland. He did not play Saturday against Laval, yielding the nets to Veini Vehvilainen in a 4- 0 loss. The Monsters don’t play again until Tuesday versus Grand Rapids. … The Blue Jackets are off on Sunday and will fly to Montreal in the afternoon. They play the Canadiens on Tuesday in Bell Centre. Alison Lukan’s analytics The Athletic’s Alison Lukan provided these insights into the Blue Jackets’ loss: The Blue Jackets were playing along a precarious margin in this game in terms of quantity versus quality. Columbus had a small advantage in terms of shot share (54.52 percent), scoring chances (51.02 percent) and expected goals (51.45 percent). According to MoneyPuck, the final expected goal total was 2.18 to 2.56 in favor of Colorado. Columbus needs to get its offense going, so here’s the good and bad news. The two top performers in terms of individual shot attempts in five-on-five play kept pace with Colorado. Those players were Savard (6) and Werenski (5). Texier also had five. So players are creating opportunities, but that’s also one forward in the top three. The leaders in individual scoring chances were Werenski (4) and Texier (3). Six forwards tied at two each. Korpisalo’s unblocked save percentage was -2.98 below expected league average, equating to -1.34 goals saved above average. The leaders in terms of game score: Cam Atkinson (1.61), Bemstrom (1.45), Savard (.93), Vladislav Gavrikov (.92) and Foligno (.76).

22

The Columbus Dispatch: Avalanche 4, Blue Jackets 2 | 3-2-1 breakdown By Brian Hedger – November 10, 2019

DENVER — The scenery changes, but the games remain the same. Through the first 17 of them on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, only a couple have differed all that much from their 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Pepsi Center. Once again, the Jackets had more shots (41-36), something they’ve done 13 times. Once again, the Jackets generated enough scoring chances, only scoring twice on goals by Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski. Once again, goalie Joonas Korpisalo’s early brilliance – and composure – were undone by turnovers, penalties and other maladies that have afflicted the Blue Jackets to date. They try hard, as they did Saturday night, but scoring is still the biggest issue. The Jackets are just not doing it enough and each shortfall is beginning to blend into the next because of it. “Just keep on working,” coach John Tortorella said, because what else could he say? “We generated 20 scoring chances tonight … you just hope that they find a way to score a goal and we get some flow to our game.” Some finish would be good, too. Columbus topped 40 shots for the third time this season, but lost for the second time while getting to that point. It’s getting to be the same old story every time out. “We’ve got to find a way to fight through it,” said captain Nick Foligno, who assisted on Werenski’s goal and then was later assessed a major penalty for charging plus a game misconduct for a hit on Pierre- Edouard Bellemare. “We’ve got to find a way to get goals and timely goals and big plays in big moments.” The next opportunity is Tuesday in Montreal, where the Blue Jackets will wrap up their first multi-game road trip after splitting the first two games. “We need to find a way to get some dirty goals around the net, some rebounds, some screens, some tips, stuff like that,” said Werenski, whose goal was the 42nd of his NHL career and is now the most scored in a career by any Blue Jackets defenseman. “We’re getting the shots but we’re not getting the goals. I like a lot of the things we’re doing as a team, but there’s some breakdowns we have to clean up and obviously ... start scoring some goals.” As the scenery shifts to Montreal, here is a 3-2-1 of the Jackets’ latest winnable loss – three takeaways, two questions and one more thing to know: Three takeaways 1) Foligno contrite One of the biggest stories of this game happened about a minute after the second of Cale Makar’s two goals for the Avalanche in the second period.

23

Foligno spotted Colorado center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare coming up ice and tried to line him up for a big open-ice hit. His shoulder was off target, though, and contacted Bellemare’s head. The force of the collision sent Bellemare flying backward and his head hit the ice first. Foligno was assessed a five-minute major penalty for charging. He also received a game misconduct that ended his night early and will almost certainly draw the attention of the NHL’s department of player safety. The Blue Jackets’ captain initially disputed the call without seeing it on video. He quickly changed his mind after seeing it again on the video board hanging above the ice at Pepsi Center. “That’s kind of why I was reacting the way I did,” he said. “Then I saw the replay and there was no intent to hit him like that at all. I’m trying to line him up at the time and then he turns back and makes that play. It just happens so fast and I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that I hit him in the head. It’s just an unfortunate collision, almost, and my main concern is that he’s just alright. And I got word from their locker room that he’s feeling alright. It just sucks.” Foligno could get a suspension for the hit, but declined to speculate. “My track record speaks for itself,” said Foligno, who sought and received an update on Bellemare before the game ended. “I would never maliciously try to hurt somebody – and it made me sick. I’m still sick to my stomach the way he kind of went down, but I mean, that’s the way this game goes sometimes. It happens so fast. My main concern is that he’s OK and we’ll go from there.” 2) Not enough run support This was the second time the Blue Jackets have failed to take advantage of some outstanding work by Korpisalo. The 25-year old netminder was fantastic in the first period, allowing just a power-play goal that he had little chance to stop, and he started the second strong. Defensive breakdown and turnovers gave the Avalanche too many chances, though, and Makar eventually made them pay with his goals. A blown defensive coverage left Makar open in the right-wing circle on the first one – with his shot beating Korpisalo over his glove. The second one was off a 2-on-1 rush that started with a missed shot by Sonny Milano at the other end of the ice. Korpisalo rebounded by helping the Jackets kill off all five minutes of the Avalanche power play that followed Foligno’s charging major, but eventually cracked one more time on a fluky slap shot by Nazem Kadri with 2:06 left in the third period. Once again, a turnover led to a good scoring chance for Colorado. Kadri turned it into a goal when his shot deflected off Seth Jones’ outstretched stick and sent the puck skipping off the ice with a weird bounce that knuckled over Korpisalo’s shoulder. Korpisalo finished with 32 saves, including a couple smooth snags in the first and an outstanding pad save against Valeri Nichushkin to thwart a 2-on-1, but it wasn’t enough. “Our goaltending’s been outstanding,” Foligno said. “Korpi’s played so well for us. It’s time we give him some run support.” 3) The bright side

24

This starts with Bemstrom, who scored the second goal of his NHL career just one game after scoring his first Thursday in Arizona. Both capped power plays and provided the Jackets a lift. His goal against the Coyotes tied that game 2-2 late in the second period and this one gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 4:55 into the game. “Today, I probably played my best game of those (17) games,” Bemstrom said. “It’s tough to lose, but we just have to keep going.” As for the power play, it’s starting to show signs of life with goals in four of the past six games. The Jackets have scored four power-play goals in 21 opportunities in those games, which works out to a solid 19 percent. It’s way too soon to pronounce their power-play issues fixed, but they’re starting to trend in the right direction. Two questions 1) Will the Blue Jackets have their captain in Montreal? Foligno doesn’t have a littered history filled with suspensions, so that could mitigate the supplemental discipline he might be assessed by the league for charging Bellemare. The NHL’s department of player safety had not publicly requested to speak with Foligno or schedule a hearing as of late Saturday night, but that could change. This will be a wait-and-see situation, but will not be a surprise if a suspension is doled. 2) Will Korpisalo’s latest eruptions cost him? After Korpisalo’s stick-smashing tirade Oct. 26 in Philadelphia – which was the result of a great start being spoiled by four goals allowed in the third period – both he and Tortorella said it wouldn’t happen again. Well, it happened again Saturday night. This one wasn’t quite as explosive, but it wasn’t far off. After allowing Makar’s first goal, which tied it 2-2, Korpisalo wheeled and grabbed the puck with his goal stick. He quickly fired it into the neutral zone. Kadri’s goal late in the third also incensed him. After that one, Korpisalo added a couple swipes at the crossbar and right post with his stick and then fired the puck into the neutral zone again. Going into this trip, Tortorella planned to let Korpisalo have all three games to help him find a rhythm and footing as the No. 1 guy. That plan might still play out, but it will be interesting to see how Tortorella handles Korpisalo’s latest explosion. One more thing to know The Blue Jackets lost for the first time this season when scoring the game’s first goal. They were 6-0-0 when scoring first coming into the game.

25

The Athletic: Blue Jackets’ Nick Foligno will have disciplinary hearing after hit on Avalanche’s Pierre-Edouard Bellmare By Aaron Portzline – November 10, 2019

DENVER — The Blue Jackets may be playing without their captain on Tuesday in Montreal, and perhaps longer. Nick Foligno will have a phone hearing Monday with the NHL’s department of player safety after his open-ice hit on Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellmare late in the second period of Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Avalanche. That the hearing is by telephone, as opposed to in person, means Foligno’s suspension will be five games or fewer. It seems likely he’ll miss at least Tuesday’s game at Bell Centre. The Blue Jackets (6-8-3) have lost six of their last seven games and are mired in a scoring drought that threatens to derail their season. Foligno is among a cadre of veteran players who have struggled. He has one goal and six assists but hasn’t scored in more than a month. His only goal was Oct. 7 against Buffalo, leaving him 14 games without one. At 17:15 of the second period, with the Blue Jackets trailing 3-2, Foligno stepped up at the Columbus blue line to lay an open-ice hit on Bellmare, who was carrying the puck off his backhand as he neared the zone. Foligno’s momentum carried him up and through the hit, lifting his skates off the ice. It appeared as though his right elbow or arm clipped Bellmare’s chin or jaw as they passed. Bellmare remained on the ice momentarily before leaving under his own power in less than a minute. Foligno first indicated he felt Bellmare was being a touch dramatic but said he felt otherwise moments later when he watched the hit on the scoreboard. After the game, he was contrite. “There was no intent to hit him like that at all,” Foligno said. “I’m trying to line him up at the time, and he kind of turns back and makes that play, and it just happens so fast. “I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that I hit him in the head. It’s an unfortunate collision.” Foligno said he got word from the Avs shortly after the hit that Bellmare was feeling better and going to be OK. The two traded text messages after the game, he said. The Avs hadn’t released an update on Bellmare as of Sunday morning. Foligno has never been fined or suspended during his 858-game NHL career. The game misconduct penalty he received on Saturday — in addition to a five-minute major for charging — is the third of his career but his first since he joined the Blue Jackets before the 2012-13 season. As a non-repeat offender, Foligno would forfeit 1/186th of his $5.5 million salary, or $29,569.89, for every game he’s suspended. (That’s one day out of a 186-day season.)

26

The money goes to the NHL’s player assistance fund.

27

The Athletic: An early look at the top candidates for the 2019-20 Norris Trophy By Dom Luszczyszyn – November 8, 2019

The Norris Trophy race is always one of the most fiercely debated topics in any given season. Often it boils down to points, plus-minus, team strength, reputation or sometimes, whose “turn” it is. Defensemen are one of the most difficult positions to evaluate as it’s difficult to gauge how much they bring to the table on offense, how to weigh that against their defense, which is difficult to gauge, as well as judge how much they’re responsible for there team’s success too. It’s a balancing act, which is what often makes the choices so controversial. For the past decade there’s generally been a list of usual suspects vying for the prize, but with a lot of them starting slow, on teams in rough shape, or just plain falling off, it’s left the race wide open for some fresh faces to make their presence known. They may not win it or even finish in the running, but for now, they’re at the top of the class. Whose turn is it this year? Through 15 or so games, these are the three (well, four) that stand out, doing so for mostly similar reasons: by providing massive value on the back end in out-scoring and out- chancing opponents heavily, mostly through their offensive instincts. John Carlson, 17 GP, 25:29, 8-18-26, plus-one penalty differential, 50 percent xG, 67 percent goals Game Score: 1.46 Just when you think he might slow down, Carlson has another big night scoring three points including an assist on the game-winner while dominating play at 5-on-5. Not only is he simply running away with the scoring lead among defensemen (up by nine points), he’s among the very best among all players, currently in a tie with Connor freaking McDavid for points with 26 on the season – in just 17 games. That’s insane, and while the Norris race shouldn’t be decided by points scored, it’s very hard to ignore just how vital Carlson is to Washington’s attack. The Capitals score 4.4 goals-per-60 with him on the ice, a number that decreases mightily with either of the other pairs and so high that the team doubles up on goals with him on the ice. The team’s expected goals rates aren’t much to write home with Carlson on the ice, but by now we should all know that Washington is impossible to measure using those tools, especially offensively. His vision from the back end adds another layer to that for a team that finds its success from making the goaltender have to move. Carlson is as dynamic and smart as they come on the blue line, a terrific playmaker with strong puck skills that brings the best out of the team’s cadre of offensive weapons. At the end of the day, it’s about out-scoring your opponent and while that may not come from staunch defensive play when Carlson is on the ice, it’s more than made up for with his offense. It’s the new NHL where the name of his position is a misnomer and the best “backs” rove the ice without boundaries, taking risks when necessary. It’s for the greater good and Carlson is exemplifying that to a tee this season. Carlson will likely slow down from his fiery 125-point pace after a very special start and finish around 80 points for the year. If that’s where he ends up, out-scoring opponents by a heavy margin along the way, it’ll be hard to look away from his total value – even if a lot of it comes on offense. He’s the front-runner for now.

28

Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes 16 GP, 23:00, 7-10-17, minus-six penalty differential, 60 percent xG, 57 percent goals Game Score: 1.29 Dougie Hamilton is off to the best start of his career and is finally looking like the defensemen many thought he would be when he was selected ninth overall in 2011. What’s changed? It’s not really his 5- on-5 scoring rate, which is above one point-per-60 as it has been for his entire career, though a lot more goals have gone in than usual. It’s not how often his team scores when he’s on the ice, which has been around 0.3 extra goals-per-60 relative to his teammates for three years straight. It’s not his ability to drive play, as he’s been around 56-to-58 percent expected goals for four straight seasons, though his 60 percent this year would be the highest of his career. In fact, it’s not even that he’s cleaned up his penalty troubles, as his penalty differential is as bad as ever. No, it’s mostly the same ol’ Dougie (with perhaps a touch of better goaltending behind him), only this year he’s actually been given a chance to show what many who have paid attention to his underlying numbers have seen for many years: that Hamilton is not only a legitimate No. 1 defender but an elite one at that. The lack of respect for Hamilton’s abilities from several NHL organizations — being traded twice in his career already and low ice-time (he’s averaged around 20 minutes every year) — always felt counter-intuitive to what actually happened whenever he stepped foot on the ice. He has a way of tilting the ice that few others in the league share – doing most of his damage on offense – and he’s consistently shown to do that against the opposition’s best too. Now, he’s finally getting minutes requisite of that ability. Perhaps more puzzling is that he’s long shown that he’s one of the game’s best offensive defensemen (he’s 10th in 5-on-5 points-per-60 over the last five years and first in expected goals for RAPM over the last three years) and rarely deployed as such on a top power play. That’s changed this year by sheer force of will after he and the second unit excelled and turned themselves into the first unit scoring 11.4 goals-per-60, of which Hamilton has a point on 69 percent of. He’s even playing a role on the other special teams unit this season, a big step forward in turning into an all-situations stud leading to an average of 23 minutes per night. That’s a career high and closer to the usage he’s deserved for years now. It’s been a big season already for Hamilton who is being trusted more than ever. That’s made all the difference in his perception as a very worth early Norris candidate, even if under the surface it’s the same ol’ Dougie. Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators 16 GP, 22:59, 3-13-16, plus-two penalty differential, 59 percent xG, 68 percent goals Game Score: 1.48 Roman Josi, Nashville Predators 16 GP, 24:18, 5-12-17, minus-four penalty differential, 58 percent xG, 64 percent goals Game Score: 1.29 Of course, it’s a defenseman from Nashville, the factory for superstar defensemen. The question is, which one?

29

Aside from a rough outing for the whole team in Colorado last night, it’s been an absolutely sensational year for Nashville’s top pair. Both Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi are off to career-best starts, carrying each other to new heights, and that makes deciding between the two a very tough decision. Both have been more than worthy so far of being in consideration. The Predators’ offense has been flying high this season and that has a lot to do with the play of their top pair. When on the ice together, Nashville is scoring 4.7 goals-per-60 en route to out-scoring opponents 19-10. They’re controlling 58 percent of the expected goals share, a big step-up from previous seasons, and that’s not just because of their offensive prowess. On defense the duo is elite, allowing just 1.75 expected goals against per 60. That’s while playing tough minutes too which is no easy feat. What makes Ellis’ season extra special, in this case, is that he does it while playing a clean game, somehow earning a plus-two penalty differential on the season. This is an incredible two-way duo, with both unsurprisingly being capable puck-movers leading to some very strong early results. It helps to have another stud beside you to accomplish all that (not to mention a lot of time spent with the team’s top forwards) and that could hurt each player’s chances, but that also does a disservice to how well they’ve been individually. Both are playing at a point-per-game pace right now and are massive catalysts towards the team’s attack and play in transition. Defense has always been a focal point of the Predators and even in that context, the team’s top pair is looking mighty special to start the year. Other names to keep an eye on , : Has nine points in 14 games despite limited power-play time and has been a beast under a new coach territorially. The 57 percent expected goals rate is the highest of his career and he’s doing it at both ends of the ice. Ekblad’s 1.96 expected goals against per 60 is among the lowest marks in the league. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars: With John Klingberg struggling to start the season (and now injured), Heiskanen has stepped up, delivering excellent two-way numbers to lead the team’s regulars in expected goals and actual goals. Those are in relatively tough minutes too, and Heiskanen is thriving as one of the early leaders in defensive impact. Like Ekblad, the lack of power-play time hurts his scoring totals. Victor Hedman, : Once Ryan McDonagh joined the Lightning, Hedman’s burden was lessened a bit, but he’s back to playing tougher minutes this year with numbers that are a big step up from previous years. While the rest of the Lightning defense is struggling in the new season, Hedman is still as strong as ever with a 56 percent expected goals rate. Leading the Lightning back to the top of the league could be a slam dunk for his candidacy.

30